Midjourney acquired the astrology app Co-Star

Source: Tech Crunch

Midjourney acquired the astrology app Co-Star

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Amanda Silberling

Midjourney, the AI lab famous for its image and video generators, has acquired the social astrology app Co-Star. While the deal's financial terms remain undisclosed, Co-Star brings 4.3 million monthly active users and a team of twenty-four employees to the company. This strategic move may help Midjourney transition from its Discord-based interface to a standalone consumer application, expanding its diverse and unconventional product portfolio.

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Anthropic launches Opus 5

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Russell Brandom

Anthropic has launched Opus 5, a cheaper and less restrictive model that outperforms Fable 5 on several benchmarks. The model excels at self-verification and avoids the 30-day data retention policy affecting Fable and Mythos. While cybersecurity safeguards remain, classifiers engage 85% less often than in Fable 5. Additionally, a new "Automatic Fallbacks" beta feature routes restricted prompts to smaller models to prevent error messages for users.

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Build in public, fail in public: what it’s like to be a founder under 20 right now

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Dominic-Madori Davis

AI tools are enabling a new wave of teenage founders to launch successful startups without traditional Big Tech experience. Investors now prioritize technical contributions over resumes, providing significant capital to young entrepreneurs. However, these founders face intense pressure to achieve rapid growth and maintain a successful public image on social media. Despite these modern stresses, the core fundamentals of customer obsession and conviction remain essential for success.

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India’s move against Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat sparks legal debate

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Jagmeet Singh

"The Indian government has requested that GitHub remove repositories for Bitchat, an offline messaging app created by Jack Dorsey. Authorities argue the app's decentralized nature facilitates unlawful activity and bypasses internet shutdowns during student-led protests in New Delhi. Digital rights advocates criticize the move, stating it targets open-source software rather than specific illegal content, potentially infringing on communication rights and hindering the scrutiny of the app's code.".

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OpenAI’s own model went rogue before Kimi had Wall Street sweating

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Theresa Loconsolo

TechCrunch’s Equity podcast examines the recent viral impact of Moonshot’s Chinese AI model, Kimi K3, and the subsequent reaction from the U.S. AI industry. The episode also explores a security breach at Hugging Face involving an unreleased OpenAI model, highlighting that AI risks extend beyond geopolitical concerns. Hosts discuss regulatory fear, uncertainty, and doubt alongside the broader implications for global artificial intelligence security and safety.

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UPI In June: Navi, super.money Gain Ground As PhonePe, Google Pay Slip Slightly

Business • via Startup • Palak Sharma

In June, UPI transaction volume and value declined slightly. While PhonePe and Google Pay experienced marginal market share losses, Navi and super.money saw small gains. WhatsApp surpassed CRED in transaction volume, although CRED maintained a higher transaction value. Meanwhile, NPCI's proposed UPI Meta framework, designed to streamline online payments, faces opposition from smaller players who fear it will further strengthen the dominance of the leading platforms.

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Sam Altman’s biometric startup World raises $52.5 million via crypto sale

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Lucas Ropek

World, the online verification startup co-founded by Sam Altman, raised $52.5 million through a crypto token sale to strategic investors, including Pantera Capital. The funds will support the World Foundation's network expansion. World provides "proof of human" verification via iris-scanning Orbs to distinguish real people from AI. Despite recent partnerships with Tinder and Ticketmaster, the company has faced scaling challenges and recent staff layoffs.

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Flipkart, Eight Roads Offload Shadowfax Shares Worth ₹1,654 Cr In Bulk Deal

Business • via Startup • Lokesh Choudhary

Walmart-owned Flipkart and Eight Roads Ventures have sold Shadowfax shares totaling ₹1,654.4 crore through bulk deals. Flipkart offloaded shares worth ₹690 crore, while Eight Roads sold ₹964.4 crore, marking a partial exit for these early investors. This monetization follows Shadowfax's successful public listing and a profitable FY26, where the logistics firm reported a net profit of ₹112 crore and significant revenue growth across India.

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As US weighs response to Chinese AI, industry urges against broad open-weight restrictions

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Rebecca Bellan

Major AI companies, including Meta, Microsoft, and Nvidia, have signed an open letter urging policymakers to avoid broad restrictions on open-weight AI models. The group argues that open models are essential for cybersecurity defense and innovation, cautioning against conflating legitimate development techniques with intellectual property theft. This effort highlights a divide between open-weight proponents and closed-source developers like OpenAI and Anthropic over AI regulation and accessibility.

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Delhi Police Advises App-Based Aggregators To Restrict Services In Central Delhi

Business • via Startup • Lokesh Choudhary

"Delhi Police has advised ride-hailing, food delivery, and ecommerce platforms to regulate or temporarily suspend services in restricted areas of New Delhi. This follows prohibitory orders issued under Section 163 of the BNSS amid ongoing student protests and the Monsoon Session of Parliament. The measures, which may include geo-fencing, aim to reduce movement in sensitive zones and ensure the safety of delivery partners, drivers, and the general public.".

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Over 35% Of Swiggy Users Try Multiple Services, But Order Frequency Slips

Business • via Startup • Akshit Pushkarna

Swiggy's FY26 report shows a 51% revenue jump to ₹23,053 crore, though net losses widened to ₹4,154 crore. While monthly transacting users grew 33.1% to 23.5 million and over 35% used multiple services, average ordering frequency declined to 4.07 per month. The company is focusing on cross-selling and expanding Instamart's capacity, while seeking IOCC status to potentially transition to an inventory-led model for quick commerce.

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Rivian sues the US government for ‘full refund’ of Trump tariffs

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Sean O'Kane

"Rivian has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government to recover millions of dollars in tariffs paid under the Trump administration's 'Liberation Day' taxes. Although the Supreme Court ruled these tariffs unconstitutional, Rivian is seeking a guaranteed refund with interest. This legal action comes as the automaker launches its R2 SUV and invests heavily in autonomous vehicles while striving to reach profitability by 2028.".

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Bluesky’s AI assistant Attie expands into an open social research tool

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Sarah Perez

Bluesky is expanding its AI assistant, Attie, by introducing "Quests," a feature allowing users to research news and trends across the AT Protocol network. This update aims to combat misinformation and simplify custom feed creation. As user growth slows to 45.6 million accounts, Bluesky is exploring AI tools to attract new users and potentially monetize services, supported by a recent $100 million funding round.

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WhatsApp Pay surpasses CRED in UPI volumes in June

Startups • Your story

"WhatsApp Pay surpassed CRED in monthly UPI transaction volumes for the first time in June, processing 150.48 million transactions compared to CRED's 141.78 million. This growth follows the removal of NPCI onboarding restrictions. Despite this, PhonePe, Google Pay, and Paytm remain the dominant market leaders. While WhatsApp leads in volume, CRED still handles significantly higher transaction values, reflecting a competitive and evolving Indian digital payments landscape.".

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D2CX Converge Indore Decodes The New Playbook For Building Enduring Consumer Brands

Business • via Startup • Inc42 BrandLabs

Inc42 and Shadowfax hosted the Indore edition of D2CX Converge, bringing together over 50 consumer brand founders to discuss scaling D2C businesses. The event focused on omnichannel expansion, operational excellence, and sustainable profitability over vanity metrics. Key discussions included Koskii’s ₹250 Cr growth journey and strategies for surpassing the ₹100 Cr milestone, emphasizing data-driven decision-making, disciplined capital allocation, and the transition toward system-driven organizational structures.

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[Weekly funding roundup July 18-24] VC inflow into Indian startups plummets

Startups • Your story

"Venture capital funding for Indian startups dropped significantly in the fourth week of July, totaling $162 million across 17 deals, compared to $431 million the previous week. This decline reflects macroeconomic uncertainty and a lack of large transactions. While AI remains a global trend, Indian startups in this sector have yet to gain momentum. Key funding rounds included Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group and BusinessNext, both raising $40 million.".

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Union Cabinet approves draft bill for stricter punishments in paper leak cases

Startups • Your story

The Union Cabinet has approved a draft bill to strengthen punishments for paper leaks, amending The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. The proposal introduces a minimum five-year prison term and fines up to Rs 10 crore for organized crime. This move follows protests over NEET-UG irregularities and aims to deter organized gangs. The government is also implementing reforms within the National Testing Agency to ensure exam integrity.

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Inside The Leadership Behind ShareChat’s ₹1,000 Cr Turnaround

Business • via Startup • Debarghya Sil

Google-backed social media startup ShareChat is planning a $400 million IPO by next year after achieving net profitability in Q1 FY27. The company crossed ₹1,000 crore in operating revenue for FY26, driven by AI-led product bets and a successful push into microdramas. Through disciplined capital allocation, cost reductions, and a leadership reshuffle, ShareChat transitioned from rapid scale-chasing to a sustainable, cash-flow-positive business model.

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Where Will Indian Spacetech’s Best Returns Come From? Speciale Invest’s Vishesh Rajaram Answers

Startups • Your story

Vishesh Rajaram of Speciale Invest highlights India's growing spacetech sector, noting a shift from speculative bets to hardware-proven investments. While India faces a significant funding gap compared to China, its structural capital efficiency provides a competitive edge. Government initiatives like the Antariksh VC Fund and SBS-3 are de-risking the sector. Rajaram predicts the highest returns in downstream data, emphasizing that international commercial contracts are key to hitting economic targets. (70 words) -.

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OpenAI’s new voice mode makes it to the ChatGPT desktop app

Startups • via Tech Crunch • Ivan Mehta

"OpenAI has updated its ChatGPT desktop app to include ChatGPT Voice, powered by the new ChatGPT-Live models. This feature allows users to control AI agents and perform complex, multi-step computer tasks using voice commands. Integrated with ChatGPT Work and Codex, the tool can access websites and screens on macOS. Meanwhile, Anthropic has similarly updated Claude's voice mode to complete tasks across various third-party productivity applications.".

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